I was going through my photos from Viera Wetlands from last Friday again when I realized that I had a new bird. At first I assumed this bird was a Least Sandpiper, but it was too big. In the uncropped image a Least Sandpiper was in front of this guy, and the Least Sandpiper is significantly smaller. So I started trying to identify my new bird, and I think I finally figured him out — he’s a Pectoral Sandpiper. They pass through Florida during migration. If you look at a range map, it’s amazing what these birds do. They winter in South America, all the way from Colombia to Argentina. Then they fly halfway around the globe up to the northernmost parts of Alaska and Canada to build their nests in the tundra. Pretty impressive, huh?
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2 thoughts on “Surprise! Another New Bird”
Hey! That’s my Pectoral Sandpiper! ;-) I read that there are some Stilt Sandpipers out there now. I may go back Saturday. I’ve got to figure out a way to get closer to the ground without spooking all the birdies. Still looking to get the Avocets.
Great catch! I was there the following week, and I assumed all those were least sandpipers too. I’m going to have to make a more careful look of my photos to see I found that as well.
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